The solution to Lyme disease

Published 5:58 pm, Thursday, August 29, 2013

We don't have to live with Lyme disease!

It's a modern day problem that just won't go away -- too many deer, too little room. Once considered a charming novelty, deer have become instead a menace to the well-being of humans and other wildlife. Following their natural instincts, a doe can produce twins every year, producing 10-14 fawns in an average life of seven to 10 years. Unchecked, herds can double every three to five years. Lacking natural predators in the wilds of suburbia, humans must assume that role. Otherwise, this dangerous and growing problem will go from its current "crisis" and will only get worse. And, there is no magic point in time when we can consider the situation a "fait accompli"; reproduction dictates make deer management an ever ongoing process.

Over-populated deer pose three main hazards: the spread of Lyme and other tick-borne disease, deer-vehicle accidents and the over-foraging of gardens and natural habitats. The deer density in Connecticut has changed dramatically in the last 50 years. Over this period, the DEEP estimated the herd grew from four deer per square mile to as much as 76 deer per square mile before leveling off at the current level of around 42 deer per square mile in Fairfield County. The reforestations of Connecticut as compared with our agricultural past, along with hunting regulations that actually protect deer for 6 ½ months out of the year with stiff fines and jail time, have contributed to this perfect storm of destruction and disease.

The most compelling reason to reduce the local deer herd lies in statistics for Lyme and other 17 tick-borne illnesses including Babesiosis, anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, the Powassin virus, etc. Left untreated, these diseases can and do result in permanent physical disabilities and even death. In Connecticut, those numbers for Lyme alone are 2-3,000 reported cases annually (estimates are that 90 percent of all cases go unreported). Ninety-six percent of all Lyme occurs in 13 states, which includes Connecticut. It is the sixth most reported disease in the United States and the second most reported in the Northeast. By contrast, West Nile which often arouses anxiety and a flurry of news coverage affected 21 persons state-wide last year. And, though the reproductive cycle of the black-legged tick is complicated, involving several hosts, the state's chief entomologist, Dr. Kirby Stafford as well as the DEEP affirms that "Deer are the key to reproductive success of deer ticks." One of the very few things the CDC the DPH the DEEP and the CAES all agree on is that reducing the numbers of this large mammalian host to around 10-12 per square mile will result in the collapse of the tick population along with the spread of Lyme.

Deer vehicle accidents (DVA) are a road menace all year, but peak during the fall rut. Mid-October marks the beginning of this mating season with a peak from mid-November until mid-December. Although largely under-reported, some of the best statistics for DVAs come from State Farm with numbers in Connecticut averaging around 10,000 annually at an average cost of $3,305. Motor vehicle damage is only part of the story. Nationally DVAs number 1.5 million annually with a cost of around $1 billion and tragically resulting in 150 human fatalities.

And, if disease and danger on the roads isn't compelling enough, the loss of natural habitat for small animals including birds is a well-documented phenomena. Large animals need to eat and eat they do. White-tailed deer consume 1½ tons (3,000 pounds!) of vegetation annually. Damage to gardens and agriculture is annoying and expensive, but the over browsing by the burgeoning herd is destroying the natural habitat needed for other species and most significantly for song birds statewide. The state is losing native plants, shrubs and sapling trees needed for forest regeneration. The loss of the natural layered understory of forests has resulted in declines of some native bird species by 73-99 percent.

So, like it or not, controlling the disease and damage caused by the over-proliferation of deer becomes the responsibility of the human species. Scientists find that the only truly viable (and affordable) means of control is by regular culling of the deer. While the most effective form of deer management remains professional sharpshooting, few elected officials in Connecticut have demonstrated the willingness to move in this direction. As a result, the traditional hunting season provides some opportunity to impact the herd. Homeowners can become part of the solution by contacting a licensed deer hunter and giving permission for bow hunting on their property. Hunting season opens Sept. 15 and continues until Jan. 31. Lists are generally available through town halls, there is no cost to the homeowner, and the "free-range" meat is often donated to soup kitchens (state law currently forbids the sale of the meat). Without proactive management of the deer problem, residents of Fairfield County will continue to subject their children to the constant risk of tick-borne diseases every time they play outside. You don't have to live with Lyme disease. Be a part of the solution.